Context: Recently, Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe erupted.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts related to Mount Etna and cause behind its eruption.
About Mount Etna:
- Location: Mount Etna is located on the east coast of Sicily. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, situated just off the toe of the Italian “boot” (Southern Italy).
- Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe.
- It is an active Stratovolcano.
- Mount Etna has the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps.
- Etna has been a World Heritage Site since 2013.
- It is known for frequent eruptions. Since 1600, at least 60 flank eruptions and many more summit eruptions have happened.
- Etna’s summit has five craters, which are responsible for most of the volcano’s eruptions.
What caused the massive eruption of Italy’s Mount Etna?
- Experts suggest that the eruption began with an increase in pressure inside the volcano due to expanding gases, which led to the collapse of the southeast crater, resulting in hot lava flows.
What kind of eruption did it have?
Scientists typically classify eruptions based on how explosive they are.
- According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Etna Observatory, the volcano was witnessing a “Strombolian” eruption.
Strombolian eruption:
- This type of eruption is usually characterised as discreet moderately explosive bursts which can eject chunks of rock and cinders that can travel hundreds of metres into the air. It occurs due to the presence of gas in the magma chamber within the volcano.
- The Strombolian eruption is named after another Italian volcano called Stromboli, which produces minor eruptions every 10 to 20 minutes.
- However, some volcanologists believe that Mount Etna did not experience a Strombolian eruption but rather a Plinian eruption, in which hot gas, ash, and rock can explode high enough to reach the stratosphere.
